text:
Kansas City Star columnist Steve Penn gives the January talk in the Library's Second Sundays with KC Columnists series on Sunday, January 11, at 2 p.m. at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.
Penn is a metro columnist for The Kansas City Star and writes on a variety of issues facing the Kansas City area as well as some national topics – from happenings at City Hall to the American Jazz Museum's 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award to the United States presidential election.
The 2008-09 Second Sundays with KC Columnists series features talks by some of Kansas City's favorite newspaper columnists.
Presenters discuss some of their favorite columns, share previously untold stories from their years in the newspaper business, and answer audience questions.
Admission is free. A 1:30 p.m. reception precedes the event. Click here or call 816.701.3407 to RSVP.


text:
We offer a Free quote and UK design service, get in touch today.
When you are wanting a driveway installation you should use experts. Our driveway installers have a lot of experience from previous jobs and we have been in the surfacing industry for many years which is why we are specialists. There are a range of drive options to choose from, it just depends on what you're looking for and what you would like the end product to look like. If you're unsure, this is a service we can also help you with. The most popular types of driveway surfacing we install is resin bound gravel, resin bonded gravel, loose gravel, block paving, tarmac, imprinted concrete and concrete flags. Each of these surface options have their advantages and disadvantages but if you explain to our team what you want to achieve then we can recommend the best surface for your facility.
If you'd like to find out about the different products and services which we're able to provide, then please fill in our application for. This's done on our website and when you have sent the enquiry, a member of our team will receive an email and they will get back to you as quickly as possible.
As local specialist driveway installers working closest to you, we work to ensure you get the product that is suitable for your home and its nearby surrounding areas. Many clients choose to have things like imprinted concrete http://www.driveway-ideas.co.uk/surfaces/imprinted-concrete/ and other decorative designs, but we can provide a range of options. As we carry out driveway installation in a variety of areas, this has allowed us to gain a huge amount of experience which we take with us from job to job.
It is so important to do the necessary background checks on installers and contractors near me. This is because there are so many drive installers who tell you they have done many jobs and they might sound perfect to you, but individuals have found that they have just been lied to. The client is then left with an unsuitable drive, which they are not happy with and the contractors have vanished. We hear about this a lot, which is why we recommend that people check a company's history, previous jobs and case studies.
There is no set cost of having a driveway installed, it depends on a number of factors. These include, the current surface condition, the area size, what surface product you are wanting to have installed and the design which you're having. There is not a cost per square meter because of economies of scale. If you have a larger area, then the cost per square meter will be lower than a smaller area. All of our pricing details are available on this page http://www.driveway-ideas.co.uk/costs/ which explains how we get our costs.
Some people choose to go with the cheapest contractor for a driveway installation but this is not recommended as there is most likely a reason why they are cheaper. They could be using cheap materials which do not last as long and not making sure that the surface meets certain specification. We only use premium materials and products because the finished product looks far better and the life of the surface is greater than cheap materials.
If you want to know more about costs in detail, please do not hesitate to speak to us today. We will explain to you about the options which are available and can provide you with a quotation if you're interested in this.
It really depends what you want the surfacing installation to look like, what it's going to be used for and your budget available. Resin bound gravel is a great option and is the most popular surface type which our driveway installers carry out, since it is a premium product and has many advantages. It is a decorative, porous, hard wearing and low maintenance as well as being SuDS compliant (sustainable urban drainage system – which means know planning permission is required). Take a look here http://www.driveway-ideas.co.uk/surfaces/resin-bound/ to see all of the details on this surfacing type. This is not to say that the other products are inferior because this isn't the case but this's the one which is normally recommended by installers because of the benefits it has.
To find out about the driveway installation products which we can install, all you need to do is write in our enquiry form with your details and what interests you. When we receive an enquiry, we will ask for the area size and photos of the current surfacing condition, this will allow us to provide a rough installation quotation for you or help you decide what you're looking for and what would be most appropriate installation to have. Thank you for reading!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
'Less is more' is a philosophy turntable specialist Kuzma clearly believes in.
Glance at the Slovenian company's entry-level turntable/arm combination and it's easy to get the impression something is missing, such is the focus on simplicity.
Take a closer look, and it's the quality of engineering that hits hardest.
This combo really is beautifully constructed. The Stabi S turntable (the name is short for stability) is essentially made up of two 50mm diameter brass bars arranged in a 'T' shape.
The longer of these bars includes the arm base and main platter bearing. The whole assembly sits on three rubber 'O' rings, which provide a small degree of isolation from the supporting surface, but mostly stop the turntable from sliding around.
The motor unit sits close to, but doesn't touch, the top of the brass 'T', and drives the sub platter via a flat, ground rubber belt.
Platter upgrade improves sound
As standard, the Stabi S uses a damped aluminium platter, which is topped by an unusual mat made of a textile/rubber compound. Our review sample (and the price listed) includes a £450 platter upgrade. This adds a second aluminium platter, which sits below the original.
In material terms this upgrade looks poor value; however, we're convinced by the sonic benefits.
We doubt whether anyone would stick with the standard player once they've heard the improvements brought about by this change.
They include greater sonic stability and authority, along with stronger dynamics – not bad considering all that's been added is a second layer to the platter.
UK-specified Stabi S turntables come with a nicely finished brass record clamp as standard, and a dust cover. Also included is a high-density plywood board for the whole assembly to sit on.
Partnering arm impresses
The Stogi S arm – Stogi is short for rigidity in Slovenian – is hardly a run-of-the-mill product, either.
It's a unipivot design with a silicone damping system to control arm resonances, and a one-piece cable running unbroken from cartridge to phono stage.
The arm also has a neat two-piece counterweight arrangement that allows for both subtle weight changes and adjusts vertical alignment – essential with a unipivot design.
We used a variety of cartridges during the test, ranging from fine-performing moving magnets such as Goldring's 2400, through to high-end designs such as van den Hul's The Frog.
Pleasingly, there were no issues with any of the cartridges – the Stabi S/Stogi S just gets on with the job regardless.
This turntable/arm combination prefers to step out of the limelight, allowing the listener to ignore the mechanics of hi-fi production and concentrate instead on the important stuff – the music.
Unforced, natural sonics
There's plenty of insight, and the ability to keep instrumental strands in order, even when asked to deal with Carl Orff's Carmina Burana at its most demanding.
But what we like best is the natural way this record player delivers sound: dynamics swell in an unforced manner and there's just a hint of richness to the presentation that brings every single note to life without straying into anything like overt warmth.
This kind of presentation works wonders with Eric Bibb's Where the Green Grass Grows. Here, the Kuzma delivers Bibb's vocals with real passion, capturing subtleties with ease.
The deck's decent timing makes sure the track retains a sense of momentum, something that's all too easily lost by less-capable designs.
Readily delivers fire and brimstone
Don't, however, mistake this combination's finesse for a lack of bottle. Given suitable material to work with, this pairing can readily deal in fire and brimstone, too.
The important point is that it will deliver only what's on the record – and not add any seasoning of its own. In the end that's what makes this Kuzma record player such a thoroughly likeable performer.
It's not perfect though. There are operational issues, such as the awkward speed-changing arrangement when you want to switch from albums to singles (the platter has to be removed and a sleeve added to the motor pulley).
And the lack of suspension means that positioning and the equipment support are even more critical than they are for a suspended rival.
Despite all that, and acknowledging the quality of rivals from the likes of Clearaudio, Michell and Roksan, the Stabi S/Stogi S remains an extremely tempting proposition.
Give it a listen – we doubt you'll be disappointed.
See all our turntable Best Buys
Follow whathifi.com on Twitter


text:
Daily Devotional for Friday April 2, 2010
Have You Made the Decision to Accept Christ
(John 3:16)
HAVE YOU MADE THE DECISION TO ACCEPT JESUS? You will make many big decisions throughout your life. Where you will go to college, what career you will have, who you will marry, having children, are just a few. However, there is no decision that you will make during your life greater than where you will spend eternity when this brief life is over.
The Bible teaches us that tomorrow is promised to none of us and that each day is a gift from God. When you die, your body will go back to the dust of the earth as God mandated, but your soul, the part of man made in God's image is eternal. Where your soul spends eternity is a choice each individual who lives will make during their life. It is God's desire that ALL come to repentance and none be lost. He sent His Son Jesus to die for the sins of all mankind so that thru faith in Jesus man could be reconciled back to God and have the assurance of everlasting life with his Creator.
My friend, nobody who is honest will dispute that they will die one day, and nobody who is honest will dispute they commit sin. We ALL sin and fall short of God's glory and it is our sin that separates us from a holy God. GOD LOVES YOU! He is willing to forgive you of your sins if you will simply ask Him. There is nothing you have done in your life that God won't forgive you for if you ask Him. He does not want to see your soul perish for eternity, but wants you to spend your eternity with Him.
Please, take a few moments, the most important few moments you will ever spend and read the following few paragraphs. These words can literally change you for all eternity. I am praying for you!
For God so loved the world, HE GAVE. Today is the day that we celebrate one of the greatest events in human history. We celebrate today the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, God's gift to the world. Today is truly a day of rejoicing. Because of this gift from God, we can be forgiven of our sins and reunited with our Creator for eternity. So much of what I deal with each day in this Devotional is to help you walk through this short journey here on earth victoriously and productively. But we must never forget that our time here is very short, and there is an eternity waiting for us when this journey is completed.
I want to focus for just a minute on this most special day, to that split second when our life on this earth is finished and we are launched into eternity. Do you have the assurance this very moment that when your life is complete, your eternity is going to be spent in Heaven with God your Creator?
If the answer to that question is anything but a resounding YES, then let me just share this simple truth with you. You see, our God, our Creator so loved this world, so loved His creation, that He sent His Son, His only Son to be part of this world. Jesus had one mission in this life. It wasn't to be a great teacher, though He was a great teacher. It wasn't to be a great prophet, though He was a great prophet. It wasn't to be a great miracle worker, though He did work many great miracles. No my friend, Jesus came to this world to perform only one job...to die.
You see, the reason it was vital for Jesus to be immaculately conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin was so that He was not infested with the same problem you and I are born into this life with, sin. Otherwise, the best He could have done was to die for His own sins. Jesus lived on this earth for some 33 years before it was time to complete His work. That work was finished on a cross on the hill called Calvary where He hung, and then died as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of this world. That is why, whosoever believes in Jesus, shall not perish, but have everlasting life!
Believing in Jesus is the only way to be saved because it was Jesus who died for our sins. There are no other ways to be saved, no other roads to God, there are no other plans of salvation!!! This is God's one and only plan to reconcile His fallen creation back to Himself. This is the only way that you can escape eternity apart from the God who created you in His own image. It is through His grace and by your faith in Jesus Christ!
There are many incredible mysteries in the Bible. There are many doctrinal issues that will never be fully understood until we are in Heaven. But God made the most important decision of this life very easy and simple to understand. He gave every one the same opportunity to have their sins washed away and be assured of an eternity in Heaven. That is why we celebrate Good Friday today. That is why we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
The most important decision you will make in this life is not who you will marry, or where you will live, or what kind of job you will have. The most important decision you will make in this life is to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. If you have not done that yet, the Bible says that TODAY is the day of salvation. I would invite you to go to, http://www.liveprayer.com/bdy_salvatn.cfm. Pray to ask God to open your heart, read the words, pray the prayer, and accept today God's gift to you this Easter season, the gift of everlasting life through His son Jesus.
I love you and care about you deeply. For those of you who already know Christ as your Savior, I would encourage you to forward this email to someone that you know who is lost and without hope this Easter. What better present to give someone than the opportunity to know Jesus as their Savior and God's free gift of everlasting life. I pray that you will take time today to focus on the gift that God has given to us in His Son Jesus. He gave His very best gift to us, which is why I will continue to encourage you each day to give your very best to Him.
In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller


text:
Moments ago on Morning Edition, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said that if the Obama administration's latest jobs plan is enacted it should have a "substantial, powerful effect" on the economy.
The $447 billion package of tax cuts, infrastructure spending and aid to states "is designed to make the economy stronger now and get more Americans back to work," Geithner told host Steve Inskeep. He said that tax cuts aimed at small businesses who hire new workers would boost employment quickly and that the spending on roads and other infrastructure would give a lift to the labor market over a longer stretch of time.
Asked why the public should have faith in such forecasts after watching the jobless rate rise despite earlier stimulus efforts, Geithner said "the economy was much worse than anybody knew at the time" — late 2008 and early 2009 — of earlier stimulus efforts. And he made the case that the earlier "Recovery Act" was "exceptionally powerful in restarting economic growth much earlier than anybody thought."
As The Associated Press reports, while House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said Obama's proposals "merit consideration," other Republican lawmakers "were less charitable."
"The president's plan is nothing new," said Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee. "It simply doubles down on the same failed policies that he has pursued before. And I don't expect they will be any more successful than they were the first time around."
Much more from Steve's conversation with Geithner will be posted here later.
Update at 9:20 a.m. ET. And here's the audio of their discussion (our apologies if you're viewing this on a device that doesn't show our player):
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
Internet Acceptable Use
Azusa Pacific University's domain name (APU.EDU) and other University computer, network, electronic mail systems, communications, and Internet services exist primarily for the transmission and sharing of information for the University's purposes. The use of apu.edu by any member must be consistent with the mission of Azusa Pacific University and is subject to control by the University. The University will attempt to protect and maintain user privacy, but observation and monitoring of traffic flow and content/usage may be necessary at the University's discretion for security, policy, and other legal reasons. The end-user who originates communications and traffic will be responsible if the communications and traffic do not conform to this or any other University policy.
User Requirements
- Respect the privacy of others. For example, users shall not intentionally seek information on, obtain copies of, or modify files belonging to other users.
- Only use your own account and password; never misrepresent yourself as another user.
- Do not let others use your login and password to the APU network, email or computers.
- Respect the legal protection provided by copyright and licenses to programs and data.
- Respect the integrity of apu.edu so as not to interfere with or disrupt network users, services, or equipment. Interference or disruption includes, but is not limited to, distribution of unsolicited advertising, propagation of computer viruses, and use of the network to make unauthorized entry into other computational, communications, or information devices or resources.
Acceptable Uses
- Use as a vehicle for scholarly or University-related communications.
- Use in applying for or administering grants or contracts for research or instruction.
- Use in activities of research or direct support for instruction.
- Use must be consistent with University standards as defined in its publications.
Unacceptable Uses
- Use of apu.edu or any other University computing resources for illegal purposes.
- Use of apu.edu or any other University computing resources to transmit or receive threatening, obscene, or harassing materials.
- Sending unsolicited advertising.
- Use for personal for-profit business is not permitted.
- Use of the network by employees for entertainment and recreational games is not acceptable during business hours. (Generally between the hours of 7am to 10 pm)
Enforcement and Violations
Action may be taken by system management, and is subject to the guidance and authority of the Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO), to prevent possible unauthorized activity by temporarily deactivating any member. Reasonable efforts will be made to inform the member prior to disconnection and to re-establish the connection as soon as an acceptable understanding has been reached. Any disciplinary action deemed necessary will be handled through the normal channels as explained and set forth in the, student, employee or faculty handbooks.


text:
The residents of Gaza have a name for the period of tribal lawlessness that plagued their impoverished territory between Israel's withdrawal in 2005 and the Hamas takeover of 2007. Marred by rampant tit-for-tat murders, kidnappings, theft, and checkpoints run by armed clans, Gazans call these years ayam al-fowda, or the "days of chaos."
Those days are gone, however, after 2-1/2 years of strong Hamas rule successfully disarmed the territory's rival clans – made up of just one or sometimes several extended families – and restored order again to Gaza's streets.
But some of the same families responsible for much of Gaza's violence before the Hamas takeover say the Islamist movement has since used crime control as a pretext to influence the clans' unique system of tribal law – an ancient oral code experts say often contradicts Hamas's own version of Islamic justice – by appointing pro-Hamas clan chiefs and pressuring local leaders to issue Islamic-style rulings.
Hamas officials say clan leaders, referred to locally as mukhtars, are free to practice their own methods of reconciliation, as long as the rule of law is respected and justice is served. But any overt politicization of the chiefs, historically seen as societal mediators in Gaza, may end up threatening the independence of a system experts say has regulated Gazan society at the grass-roots for centuries.
"This is a matter of the very deeply entrenched customs of Palestinian society," says the director of the Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights in Gaza, Khalil Abu Shammala. "Any takeover or molding of this [tribal] system will most certainly affect the core of social relations in Gaza, especially when we take into consideration Hamas's increasing Islamization of the law."
Gaza's tribal code is a blend of pre-Islamic Bedouin traditions and customs dating back to the era of the Philistines, that are interwoven with, but not anchored in, some Islamic principles. With guidelines and punishments for everything from clashes between families and personal injury claims to disputes over land and even murder, the code can provide powerful social glue in the absence of a functioning state, analysts say.
Clan adjudication methods, often carried out in the homes of clan leaders over tea, are consensual between parties, and regularly end in the accused paying some sort of monetary compensation to the victim or the victim's family.
Because formal courts under the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority were tarnished by accusations of corruption, the mukhtars became virtually the only functioning judiciary in Gaza during the "days of chaos."
"Like all institutions, the judicial system was affected greatly by the Israeli occupation" beginning after the Six-Day War of 1967, says Gaza-based lawyer Samer Mousa. Many Palestinians in Gaza viewed Israeli courts as biased, he adds. "The occupation strengthened the mukhtars," Mr. Mousa continues, "who became rooted very deeply in society as judicial mediators when the Palestinian Authority took over [in 1993]."
Clan leaders feel political pressure from Hamas
In the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis, Abu Nabeel, a self-proclaimed apolitical mukhtar responsible for judging disputes between thousands of his extended family members, sips sage tea and thumbs his prayer beads in a breezy, outdoor salon shaded with vine leaves.
He says he has been pressured to issue rulings in favor of Hamas, as well as privately chided for judgments the Islamist movement says are incompatible with Islam. Local Hamas policemen have asked him to counsel the women on their obligations as Muslims to wear the veil and "behave properly." Hamas recently banned women from riding motorbikes or scooters to "protect community values."
"What Hamas wants is to either replace us, or to have us work to strengthen them and their version of Islamic justice," Mr. Nabeel says. "When Hamas promotes or establishes its own mukhtars and ignores the rest, it has nothing to do with their respect for the tribal code; it's political."
Ancient clan laws 'clash with Islamic principles'
Sometimes Gazans turn to the mukhtar because Hamas officials can't or won't take the case for political reasons. For example, Fahim (not his real name) says his family was involved in a dispute with another family in northern Gaza, after some of the young men got into a fight after school.
Fahim's brother and his cousin, both 17, were beaten by members of the other family. Fahim's family went to the Hamas police to file a complaint. But the other family called on their relatives in the Qassam Brigades, a military wing of Hamas. The police subsequently said they would cease investigating the crime.
So, Fahim's family called on their clan's mukhtar to meet the other family's mukhtar, and the two imposed a week-long truce on both families to temper bad feelings. They then began negotiations to solve the problem.
Araf Shaher, a mukhtar also based in the south and known for settling disputes between smugglers in the network of tunnels under the Egyptian-Gazan border, says he will avoid Hamas pressure as long as he can.
"I have nothing to do with the Hamas police and their version of the law," Mr. Shaher says from his office in Rafah, also in the south. "My rulings are based more on my own traditions, and Gaza's traditions, than they are on Islam. There are many times when they clash directly with Islamic principles, especially when I am ruling on a murder. But I won't change."
Islamic law calls for the death penalty when someone is murdered, says a senior Hamas official and member of its political bureau, Khalil al-Hayya. He says with a mukhtar, the crime can be absolved with either money or a simple apology.
Mr. Hayya says Hamas is interested in a more Islamic approach to grassroots conflict resolution, and Mousa says the movement is increasing the number of mukhtars willing to hand out more Islamist-style judgments.
"Hamas prefers Islamic law," says Hayya. "Because in many cases the law used by clans is not just; it doesn't go far enough. But Islamic law is precise, and there is no injustice because it is the law of God."
While Gaza's many clans and their leaders filled an important void when institutions broke down after the Israeli withdrawal in 2005, they also promoted a violent lawlessness many Gazans are now grateful is gone.
Does Hamas law brings order, or authoritarianism?
Hamas says the calm they brought to Gaza's streets actually gives the mukhtars more legitimacy than they ever had under Fatah.
"The mukhtars in Gaza, they are now supported by the law," says Abu Nasser, an adviser on tribal affairs to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya. "Now, when the mukhtar gives his judgment, people must follow it because they know he can call the police and impose the ruling on him in the name of the law."
Mr. Shammala agrees that the Hamas crackdown on the violent clan culture was a major success for the movement, but sees its interference in the age-old work of the mukhtars as part of its overall consolidation of power in the territory.
"Hamas disarmed the clans, and that is one of the positive aspects of their rule in Gaza," says Shammala. "But to end the crime, they don't have to meddle with social laws. It's part of a power play. Whether it's Islamic or based on control, they are using it to bring everything in Gaza under their umbrella."
What is to be done between now and 2SS? | September 17, 2017 |
The settlers will rise in power in Israel's new government | March 14, 2013 |
Israeli Apartheid | March 14, 2013 |
Israel forces launch arrest raids across West Bank | March 14, 2013 |
This Court Case Was My Only Hope | March 14, 2013 |
Netanyahu Prepares to Accept New Coalition | March 14, 2013 |
Obama may scrap visit to Ramallah | March 14, 2013 |
Obama's Middle East trip: Lessons from Bill Clinton | March 14, 2013 |
Settlers steal IDF tent erected to prevent Palestinian encampment | March 14, 2013 |
Intifada far off | March 14, 2013 |


text:
I've always loved salads. As I've gotten older the types of salads I like has changed. Before my favorites were Caesar, Chef, and Cobb Salad, all salads loaded with meats, vegetables and salad dressings. Nowadays I prefer lighter salads. Instead of all the meat, bacon or cold cuts I prefer a few slices of cured ham or none at all. Instead of extra vegetables I now love to add fruits. When it comes to cheese I prefer a light sprinkling usually of goat cheese. As for the dressing most times I opt for s simple drizzle of olive oil or a vinaigrette.
Another thing I've really come to love in my salads is nuts. Nuts add a crunch and another great flavor to salads. In today's recipe I used the Hot & Spicy pecans from Amelia's Spicing Pecans. You may remember last week I told you all about the scrumptious pecans gift Mike sent me. If you missed it make sure you check it out and order yourself some pecans.
I don't have much of a recipe for you as this is a very simple salad, simple but fantastic tasting. I used baby spinach, juicy blackberries, a few slices of smoky Czech cured ham (which doesn't have the outer ring of fat), sprinkled some tart red pepper coated goat cheese, and lastly Hot & Spicy pecans from Amelia's Spicing Pecans. For the dressing I used extra virgin olive oil. I can't tell you how well the Hot & Spicy pecans help bring all the flavors together. They added crunch, and a good dose of spicniess to the salad. These pecans have become my favorite toppings on everything, they are just perfect! Thanks again Mike.
In addition to the salad I want to share June's edition of Taste From The Past.
– Sumptuous Fried Eggplant
– Tartelettes Aux-Fruit (No-Bake) Summer Tarts
– Mandarin Miso Salmon Medallions
– Calabacitas con Maiz or Mexican Zucchini with Corn
– Homemade Almond Milk (Raw)
– Downward Facing Dog and Pain Perdu
– Pork with Green Chiles (Part Mexican Part Czech, CzechXican)
– Emeril's Crab Cakes with Avocado Emulsion
– Zemlovka, Czecho-Slovakian Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding
– Agua de Sandia – Mexican Watermelon Water
– Homemade French Salad Dressing, The American Kind
Enjoy and I hope you have a great week ahead!


text:
THURSDAY, Nov. 1, 2012 (HealthDay News) -- Some of the numbers are staggering: more than 75 Americans dead, thousands evacuated from their homes, millions left without power for days and billions of dollars in damage from "superstorm" Sandy.
Psychologists say the effect of all this sudden, violent loss on people's psyches will be powerful.
Not only those who suffered the loss of a loved one or a beloved home, but also people who just watched the constant storm coverage may be scared and unsettled, experts say.
"Sandy, like all natural disasters, is considered a criterion 'A1' stressor in the diagnoses of Acute Stress Disorder in the first month after the event and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), at least a month after the event," said Simon Rego, director, of psychology training at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.
"I'd expect many people to display symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder even if they did not directly experience effects of Sandy," he added. That's particularly true for people who had a loved one in danger or even just watched it on television, he said.
"This includes symptoms of anxiety, such as irritability, insomnia, restlessness, and dissociation such as feeling numb or detached from others, or feeling as if in a daze," Rego said.
In addition, "re-experiencing" symptoms, such as flashbacks and intrusive images, might occur for some who were closest to the destruction. Others may display symptoms of avoidance -- trying to avoid thinking or talking about the hurricane and avoiding certain people or places that remind them of the events.
Still, many of these effects are transient. "Fortunately, people are quite resilient and for many of these people, the symptoms will begin to abate on their own over time, as long as they have a healthy support system that enables them to talk about what happened and how they feel about it and do their best to return to as close to as normal routine as they can manage, under the circumstances," Rego said.
Sara Rivero-Conil, a child psychologist at Miami Children's Hospital, also stressed that "events such as Sandy can be traumatic for children."
For youngsters directly affected by the storm, reassurance from parents is crucial, she said. "Tell them they needn't worry, there is a plan in place and these events don't happen every day," Rivero-Conil said.
Children are also very sensitive to their parents' behavior, she added, and if parent is anxious or depressed kids will feel that tension and become anxious, too, she said.
"Parents are their children's heroes," she said, so it is important that parents try to keep a positive attitude and reassure their children.
Even for children who didn't experience the storm directly, seeing images on the TV can be disturbing. "Parents shouldn't let their children watch TV coverage of the storm," she said. Moms and dads should also stress that events such as Sandy are rare, and not every storm should be a source of fear.
More information
For more information on stress reactions, visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.


text:
In recent months, I have spent a great deal of my time talking to governments about science and technology policy and innovation. Money, or more accurately, the lack thereof, is a common theme that runs through all of the conversations, whether in the United States, the European Union, Japan or other parts of Asia. The global economy is still struggling to recover from the recession of 2008, the economic malaise in Europe is very real, and political and economic gridlock in the U.S. threatens the country's ability to chart a competitive future. Despite these challenges, indeed, often because of them, most world leaders are seeking innovative ways to stimulate economic growth and address deep societal problems – aging populations in developed countries, regional environmental concerns and global climate change, shifting education and workforce needs, and rising health care costs.
Today's world leaders and government ministers are surrounded by challenges, buffeted by conflicting (and sometimes irreconcilable) demands, and struggling to cope with rapid technological and societal change. The story is not much better if you are a U.S. governor or the mayor of a large city. Almost all of them all who are willing to be candid will say that the job has never been more difficult. In short, being a senior government leader, at whatever level, is not a great gig right now.
How, you might ask, does this relate to science and engineering research in general, and to high-performance computing in particular? It all devolves to questions of size and scale, something those of us in science understand well, and to a few lessons in realpolitick, where we are often laggards in the classroom of political deal making. (See Being Bilingual: Speaking Technology and Policy)
The Ask and the Close
When most of us are asked to justify government investment in basic research, or to make a case that the government should fund a specific project or research infrastructure, we reach for hoary adages. We claim that we are pushing back the frontiers of human knowledge and seeking answers to questions that have bedeviled or vexed humankind since we first had the intellectual capacity to look around and ask "why?" If truly pressed, we will talk about technology transfer and how research ideas have often birthed multi-billion dollar industries. We may even talk about educating a new generation of scientists and the importance of investment in human capital.
These statements are all true, and like many of you, I have used them many times. They are powerful and effective arguments, given the right initial conditions. However, arguments for science and engineering research funding are not made in vitro; they live or die in vivo. If there were a surfeit of funding, goodness arguments alone can actually suffice. However, I can think of no place, with the possible exception of China, where today's governments find themselves with the budgetary largess to invest in new things. In most cases, governments are struggling to cut or balance budgets, research included.
This brings us to the issue of scale. When initiative or project budgets are measured in the millions of dollars, euros or the equivalent, funding decisions often can be made without rising to the highest levels of political discussion. In most cases, it is a committee or ministerial decision to "plus up" a budget to support such activities. Supercomputing funding was once decided at this level. After all, the U.S. NSF supercomputing centers programs started with an aggregate budget of ~$70M/year in the early 1980s. With single petascale machines costing hundreds of millions of dollars, this is true no longer.
When proposed science and engineering projects or initiatives have estimated costs in the billions of dollars, they cross a critical social and governmental decision threshold. At this level, they compete visibly and directly with other national priorities – national defense, social services, health care, and public infrastructure – and the old arguments are no longer sufficient. A different dialog ensues, one involving participants who are often neither well versed in science and engineering, nor particularly supportive of its interests.
Instead, at the larger scale, one must make arguments for science and engineering investment based on both scientific benefit and other national priorities -- national security (e.g., nuclear weapon stockpile stewardship), national competitiveness (e.g., sustaining a national industrial base) and societal benefit (e.g., creating higher quality, lower cost health care). History has shown that this is difficult, but quite possible. One need only look at the termination of the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC), the fractious debate over completion of the James Webb Space Telescope, and the concerns over continued support for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) to see the challenges that accrue to nation-scale and planetary science and engineering projects, particularly when there are cost overruns.
The Exascale Moral
All of our project cost estimates for an exascale initiative place it well in excess of one billion dollars. Thus, the initiative is squarely in the realm of national priority debates, and the science and engineering case, though absolutely necessary, is no longer sufficient. One must also marshal arguments that address national, regional and global needs, and demonstrate differential advantage relative to other competing priorities. This can be done. Remember, the U.S. Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative (ASCI) was funded using just such a combination of arguments.
Finally, one must create advantage for those government leaders who might be advocates or allies, as well as counter the arguments of opponents. After all, both advocates and opponents face difficult choices and other constituencies who will feel disenfranchised, regardless of the choices. They need arguments that have political heft and popular credibility. This is the essence of realpolitik.
Millions and billions: the difference is not just quantitative; it is politically qualitative. We must couple scientific advances and societal advantage in our arguments to make the case for continued support for scientific computing and exascale infrastructure – hardware, software, and data analysis. We can do this, working together.


text:
Mass. anti-slavery hub to reopen after restoration
BOSTON (AP) - Step into the sanctuary of the African Meeting House and you will walk on the same ancient floorboards where Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison and other prominent abolitionists railed against slavery...
BOSTON (AP) — Step into the sanctuary of the African Meeting House and you will walk on the same ancient floorboards where Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison and other prominent abolitionists railed against slavery in the 19th century, and where free black men gathered to shape the famed 54th Massachusetts Civil War regiment.
Following a painstaking, $9 million restoration, the nation's oldest black church building is set to reopen to the public early next month. Beverly Morgan-Welch, who has spent more than a decade spearheading the project, calls the three-story brick building the nation's most important African American historic landmark.
"This space has the echo of so many of the greats of their time … who were trying to figure out a way to end slavery," said Morgan-Welch, executive director of the Museum of African American History.
Built in 1806 at a cost of $7,700, the meeting house sits on a quiet side street in Boston's upscale Beacon Hill neighborhood, in the shadow of the Massachusetts Statehouse and nestled among handsome brownstones and exclusive private residences.
Long before modern office towers would hold sway, the building could be seen all the way from the city's bustling waterfront, a "beacon on a hill" for black people longing for freedom, Morgan-Welch said.
It was one among a series of firsts for Boston's vibrant black community, which by that time had already formed the young nation's first black masonic order, an African Benevolent Society and an African school. Though designed as a place for worship, education, social gatherings and cultural events — "The Marriage of Figaro" was once performed there — it secured a place in history by becoming a headquarters of sorts for America's anti-slavery movement.
"They prayed, they sang, they had songs like 'I'm an abolitionist' put to the words of Auld Lang Syne," said Morgan-Welch, who described congregants as coming from every walk of life, including business owners, craftsmen, servants and seafarers.
Garrison formed the New England Anti-Slavery Society in the basement of the building in 1832.
"We have met to-night in this obscure school-house; our numbers are few and our influence limited; but, mark my prediction, Faneuil Hall shall ere long echo with the principles we have set forth. We shall shake the nation by their mighty power," Garrison said, according to the historical record. The words are among those inscribed on a granite plaque outside the building.
Faneuil Hall, a short stroll from the meeting house, played a key role in the buildup to the Revolutionary War.
Douglass, who escaped from slavery to become a leading abolitionist, made one of several visits to Boston on Dec. 3, 1860. Historical records reveal a gathering at which he encouraged participants to present ideas for "the best way of prosecuting the anti-slavery movement," listing both war and peace as possible avenues.
As war approached, the sense of urgency within the meeting house heightened.
Rallies were held to urge blacks to sign up for the 54th and 55th black regiments that would go on to fight in the Civil War. Volunteers came not only from Boston but from places as far as Canada and Haiti, Morgan-Welch said.
"They are preparing for war, they are preparing for what they know will come, they are extremely well organized," she said.
The story of the 54th regiment was chronicled in the film "Glory."
The building faded in prominence after the Civil War and was sold in the late 19th century. It would spend the next seven decades of its existence as a Jewish synagogue before being purchased by the museum in 1972.
Though named a national historic landmark in 1974, it would not be until 2006 that full-scale restoration would begin. The goal was to restore the meeting house to as close to its mid-19th century character as physically possible. No detail was overlooked, down to the square-headed nails typical of the time to replicating the original paint.
"They had people come in and do microscopic analysis of the all the paint layers," said Carl Jay, director of historic preservation for lead contractor Shawmut Design and Construction. The goal was to identify the original color and composition of the paint, a process he likened to looking at growth layers in a tree.
Engineers and architects also faced the challenge of operating in a confined space in the densely-populated residential area, he said. In addition to restoring the original structure, a new wing was constructed to house elevators and other modern amenities.
The original floorboards in the sanctuary date back even further than the 205-year-old building, having already been in use for 70 years at Boston's Old West Church before being moved to the meeting house when the church was relocated. Jay attributes the durability of the floorboards to the density of the wood used during the period.
The sanctuary's curved pews are recreations of the originals, based on sketches from the time but enlarged to accommodate average modern day heights and weights. No rendering could be found of the pulpit, so it replicates others from the time.
The restoration was boosted by $4.1 million in federal stimulus funds. Morgan-Welch said other funding came from a variety of sources, including the National Park Service, the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and private corporations.
Next month's grand reopening will be the emotional culmination of years of effort by Morgan-Welch, who recounts bursting into tears the first time she viewed into the completely restored sanctuary.
"Frederick Douglass walked here," she says, slowly and almost reverently. Seated in the balcony, reachable by the same spiral staircase that congregants would have climbed two centuries ago, she reflects on what she hopes visitors will take away from the building.
"I would like them to understand that black people in America by 1806 had built for themselves a mighty, elegant and embracing space in which to worship, to educate, and to end slavery," she said.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.


text:
Telenav Acquires skobbler to Tap into 'Wikipedia of Maps'
Telenav, Inc., announced today that it has acquired skobbler GmbH, the European-based navigation company with the highest rated OpenStreetMap (OSM)-based GPS navigation apps in the world. With this acquisition, Telenav brings the most successful OSM navigation experts in the world together as one team — including the founder of OSM, Steve Coast, who joined Telenav in 2013 — and becomes a major contributor to the creation of the open-sourced and most comprehensive map of the world, according to the announcement.
The acquisition closed on January 29 for consideration of approximately $19.2 million in cash and $4.6 million of company common stock.
"Crowdsourced OSM can power personalized navigation services like Scout — with highly detailed maps on a global scale," said HP Jin, Telenav's chairman and CEO. "We plan to offer Scout with OSM for much of the world. We have already made significant headway toward this goal in the U.S., including using OSM for our HTML5 version of Scout."
OSM is the only crowdsourced and open-sourced map of the globe and, for many developers, it has become a clear alternative to Google Maps.
"Waze and Google — or, just Google now — provide similar mechanisms to improve their maps, based mostly on OSM's innovations. With one big catch. It is very much their map. Not yours," said Coast in his blog commentary today regarding the acquisition. "OpenStreetMap is different. All of the quality data contributed is openly available — just like Wikipedia. So, anyone can download, experiment and play with it freely. It's not locked up beyond your reach."
Since Coast founded OSM, the community has doubled year over year to more than 1.5 million registered editors, becoming a global community of local editors in every corner of the world. Its crowdsourced model publishes edits every minute on openstreetmap.org, resulting in maps that are detailed and up to date. For example, newly laid streets and newly developed areas can be updated on a regular basis and in real time. In addition, OSM allows for greater map detail for pedestrians such as alleys, sidewalks, parks, hiking trails, zoos, and even city trees.
Telenav has been an active contributor to OSM for more than three years, working closely with the community to enhance specific features needed for navigation, traffic and other future location-based services.
With offices in Germany and Romania, skobbler was the first company to launch a commercial navigation app using OSM (in 2010) for both Android and iOS devices and is available in app stores in 49 regions with worldwide map coverage. In order to do this, skobbler developed sophisticated algorithms that evolved OSM data from a display map to a navigable map.
skobbler's apps are top ranked and highly rated in multiple countries including Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. skobbler's CEO, Peter Scheufen, previously served as the CEO of Navigon, which became a leading GPS device manufacturer in Europe and was eventually purchased by Garmin. The other skobbler founders also held senior roles at Navigon before founding skobbler. Telenav expects that all skobbler employees will join Telenav as part of its OSM team, bringing significant industry-leading software expertise in location-based services, navigation and mapping.
"By joining our efforts with skobbler, we will build on our combined successes to bring the best mapping and navigation services to our customers around the world," said Jin. "The benefits of an open source model will provide an enormous opportunity to change the economic models of navigation and other location-based services."
"OSM is currently one of the most active and dynamic crowdsourcing communities and is growing at an explosive rate," said Scheufen. "Our team lives and breathes OSM and so we are excited to join forces with Telenav to create the largest, most sophisticated, and smartest OSM navigation team in the world."
In connection with the acquisition and in accordance with NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 5635(c), Telenav granted four employees of skobbler and its subsidiaries, upon the closing of the acquisition, restricted stock units for an aggregate of 634,920 shares of common stock.
These RSUs were granted outside of the existing Telenav stock plans and without stockholder approval pursuant to NASDAQ Marketplace Rule 5635(c)(4) with the following terms: each RSU vests as to 50% of the award on the anniversary of Acquisition and as to 50% of the award on the second anniversary of the Acquisition, subject to continued employment through each relevant date.


text:
For immediate release
The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to raise its target for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 1-3/4 percent. The Committee believes that, even after this action, the stance of monetary policy remains accommodative and, coupled with robust underlying growth in productivity, is providing ongoing support to economic activity. After moderating earlier this year partly in response to the substantial rise in energy prices, output growth appears to have regained some traction, and labor market conditions have improved modestly. Despite the rise in energy prices, inflation and inflation expectations have eased in recent months. The Committee perceives the upside and downside risks to the attainment of both sustainable growth and price stability for the next few quarters to be roughly equal. With underlying inflation expected to be relatively low, the Committee believes that policy accommodation can be removed at a pace that is likely to be measured. Nonetheless, the Committee will respond to changes in economic prospects as needed to fulfill its obligation to maintain price stability. Voting for the FOMC monetary policy action were: Alan Greenspan, Chairman; Timothy F. Geithner, Vice Chairman; Ben S. Bernanke; Susan S. Bies; Roger W. Ferguson, Jr.; Edward M. Gramlich; Thomas M. Hoenig; Donald L. Kohn; Cathy E. Minehan; Mark W. Olson; Sandra Pianalto; and William Poole. In a related action, the Board of Governors unanimously approved a 25 basis point increase in the discount rate to 2-3/4 percent. In taking this action, the Board approved the requests submitted by the Boards of Directors of the Federal Reserve Banks of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Richmond, Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas, and San Francisco. Home | News and events Accessibility Last update: September 21, 2004 |


text:
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has identified new products and mobile investments as among several strategies aimed at keeping the company relevant as it tries to compete against the likes of Google and Facebook.
On Monday, Mayer highlighted recently revamped hiring protocols and product launches, such as its redesigned Flickr iOS app and Yahoo Mail, as positive steps for the company, though she stressed that "there's a lot of work still to be done." Mayer spoke on a conference call Monday to discuss the company's mixed results for the fourth quarter of 2012, which showed revenue up but profit down from a year earlier.
"Flickr and Yahoo Mail marked the start of these efforts," Mayer said.
Yahoo will focus on developing or redesigning roughly a dozen products in the months and years to come, each built around people's "daily digital habits," Mayer said.
She cited search, the homepage, finance, sports and news as areas the company would be focusing on, without giving more details.
Yahoo said its three key business challenges going forward are, in order of priority, increasing usage, growing its international presence and appealing to a broader set of users.
Mayer also said mobile products are "incredibly important to our strategy," and that the company is working to make them a substantial part of its business. As part of that effort, the company recently acquired the mobile recommendations app Stamped and the video chat broadcasting app OnTheAir. "This is a nascent source of revenue for us," Mayer said.
Though the company said it does not break out financial performance metrics for its mobile products individually, mobile adoption of Yahoo products grew to more than 200 million monthly unique users in the fourth quarter, the company reported.
Yahoo also reported on its progress toward having at least 50 percent of its engineering workforce dedicated to mobile. Though it is not there yet, the company hired 120 new employees with computer science degrees in the fourth quarter and allocated them largely to new mobile product areas, Mayer said.
Zach Miners covers social networking, search and general technology news for IDG News Service. Follow Zach on Twitter at @zachminers. Zach's e-mail address is email@example.com


text:
Compulsive hoarding is a complex anxiety disorder that makes it difficult for a person to discard or part with possessions, regardless of their actual value. Hoarders sometimes feel items will be useful one day or that they have sentimental value. Many people have dealt with this problem their entire lives, and often only after family members become involved is the issue addressed.
In addition to excessive clutter, other serious consequences of compulsive hoarding can include fire or health hazards and insect or rodent infestations. In many cases, depending on the level of contamination in a hoarding environment, our technicians must utilize protective gear to avoid further contamination. Our hoarding cleanup services include debris removal, biohazard disposal, content cleaning for salvageable items, and professional cleaning, disinfecting, sanitizing and deodorizing of the affected premises.
Removal of hoarding debris and waste can be dangerous, and therefore, extraordinary precautions must be taken. At ServiceMaster Restore Sea to Sky, we know that successfully handling a hoarding situation calls for an honest, realistic approach and professional skills that can only come from specialized training.
Our company has many years of experience and expertise in professional cleaning and restoration, so we are equipped to handle all situations. ServiceMaster Restore Sea to Sky brings the training and experience necessary to help resolve any hoarding situation, large or small.
You can trust ServiceMaster Restore Sea to Sky to ensure professional and proper cleanup of any hoarding site.
Our highly trained technicians are knowledgeable of the professional techniques and safety regulations to deal with each unique situation respectfully and effectively.
ServiceMaster Restore Sea to Sky takes pride in restoring peace of mind by providing professional hoarding cleanup services. We work directly and collaboratively with our customers to provide outstanding results. Day or night, we are available to take your call 24/7, every day of the year.
If you or a loved one is experiencing a hoarding situation, we will work with you or the property owner to restore the property, and your peace of mind.
Some common indications of hoarding include:
Depending on the scope of the project and the amount of damage to your home and its contents, the restoration process may require several phases before completion. A thorough evaluation and assessment of all damage will be done before the estimate of a completion date can be established. Through it all, your ServiceMaster Restore Project Manager will communicate details to you and your Insurance Provider clearly and effectively, to make the process seamless.
Some high-value items require restoration by specialists. Working with your insurance claim representative, we can help you identify these items and locate a qualified restorer.
As fall approaches, it's good to keep in mind your home's exterior seasonal maintenance needs. The leaves will be falling, and, chances are, the leaves and other debris will be landing in your gutters! It's impo
Read more...


text:
Pope Benedict XVI named two dozen new cardinals, including two from the United States: Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, a top Vatican official, and Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl of Washington. The new cardinals will be installed in a special consistory to be held at the Vatican, Nov. 20.
The Pope made his announcement Oct. 20 at the conclusion of his weekly Wednesday general audience. "The universality of the church is reflected in the list of new cardinals," he said. More than a dozen countries are represented by the new cardinals, including four from African countries, two from Latin America, two from North America, and one representing Asia.
Among the new cardinals, 20 are under the age of 80 and are hence eligible to vote in the case of a papal election; four of the new cardinals are over that age and will not be eligible to vote.
With the new additions, the College of Cardinals now has 203 members, 121 of which are eligible to vote for a new Pope should the opportunity arise.
Among those receiving the cardinal's "red hat," are the 10 current Vatican Vatican officials:
Archbishop Angelo Amato (Italian), prefect of the congregation for the Causes of Saints;
Archbishop Robert Sarah (Guinean), president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, which oversees the Vatican's charity activities;
Archbishop Velasio De Paolis (Italian), president of prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See;
Archbishop Fortunato Baldelli (Italian), of the Vatican's Major Penitentiary;
Archbishop Paolo Sardi (Italian), of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta;
Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi (Italian), president of the Pontifical Council for Culture;
Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke (American), prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, a top Vatican tribunal;
Archbishop Kurt Koch (Swiss), president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity;
Archbishop Mauro Piacenza (Italian) prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy.
The remaining new cardinals of voting age are:
Patriarch Antonios Naguib, (Egyptian), of Alexandria of the Copts, Egypt;
Archbishop Francesco Monterisi, (Italian), archpriest at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls;
Archbishop Medardo Joseph Mazombwe (Zambian) of Lusaka;
Archbishop Raul Eduardo Vela Chiriboga (Ecuadorian) of Quito;
Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya (Democratic Republic of Congo) of Kinshasa;
Archbishop Paolo Romeo (Italian) of Palermo, Italy;
Archbishop Donald William Wuerl (American) of Washington;
Archbishop Raymundo Damasceno Assis (Brazilian) of Aparecida;
Archbishop Kazimierz Nycz (Polish) of Warsaw;
Archbishop Albert Malcom Ranjith Patabendige Don (Sri Lankan) of Colombo;
Archbishop Reinhard Marx (German) of Munich and Freising.
Cardinals over 80 years old include:
Msgr. Jose' Manuel Estepa Llaurens (Spanish), military ordinary of Spain;
Msgr. Elio Sgreccia (Italian), president-emeritus of the Pontifical Academy of Life;
Msgr. Walter Brandmuller (German), president-emeritus of the Pontifical Commission of Historical Sciences;
Msgr. Domenico Bartolucci (Italian), former director of the Sistine Chapel Choir.
Cardinals are considered within the Church to be the Pope's closest advisors. All belong to the College of Cardinals, the body whose main function is to elect a new Pontiff. Cardinals under 80 years of age are allowed to vote in such an election, while those over 80 can serve only in the capacity of counselors. Traditionally, the number of voting-age cardinals is kept at 120, while the total number of cardinals — including the non-voting cardinals — has no specific limit.
This is to be the third time the Pope has called a consistory to create new cardinals. With the cardinals he has previously named in March 2006 and Nov. 2007, he has now named 62, or more than half, of the current College of Cardinals. The consistory will be held in the Sistine Chapel on the Feast of Christ the King, Nov. 20. Pope Benedict will concelebrate Mass with the new cardinals the following day at St. Peter's Basilica.


text:
Another new Intel Chipset
EVGA is the first partner to get us a motherboard based on NVIDIA's new nForce 680i chipset for the Intel platform. If you are interested in SLI and maybe even some overclocking, this board definitely needs to be on your list!
If you blinked and didn't notice that NVIDIA had released an nForce 590 SLI chipset for the Intel platform, don't bother looking it up now. Due to production issues, stability issues, overclocking issues, or SOMETHING, the 590 SLI Intel chipset was never really released and as far I know only a single motherboard was ever sold using the chipset. If you talk to NVIDIA, they would let you believe that 590 SLI Intel led a strong life and will continue to gain market share on motherboard designs, but who are they kidding? With the announcement and release of the nForce 680i chipset today, 590 has been shelved for good.
The NVIDIA nForce 680i Chipset
In truth, the majority of the 680i chipset remains in tact from the previos nForce4 and nForce 500 series designs.
Click to Enlarge
The 680i is still a two-chip design, with an SPP (north bridge) and MCP (south bridge) connected by a HyperTransport bridge. Looking at this block diagram, there doesn't appear to be anything really NEW added to the design; SLI support with full x16 bandwidth, HD audio, 2 Gigabit Ethernet jacks, DDR2-800, etc. The features we have come to expect from the nForce lineup are all there and ready for use. If you need a refresher on those features, head over to my first look at the 590 SLI chipsets to see what all the fuss is about.
What NVIDIA did improve on in the 680i is overclocking; and boy did they! Claiming to have reached FSB speeds over 2.0 GHz with this chipset and standard Core 2 Duo processors, I was obviously eager to get my sample and test out the claims. I'll show you all of my overclocking results later in the review.
Finally, here is a summation of the features that NVIDIA's 680i chipset offers, MediaShield, SLI and SLI-memory with EPP being the most important in my opinion.
nForce 650i SLI and 650i Ultra
NVIDIA is announcing two other chipsets today as well: the 650i series in both SLI and Ultra forms. These chipsets differ as you might expect, the 650i SLI has 2 x8 PCIe slots for SLI support while the Ultra model only supports a single x16 PCIe slot and no SLI. Otherwise, the two share specs that differ from the 680i chipset as follows:
No optinal third PCIe graphics slot
SLI-memory support at 800 MHz instead of 1200 MHz
No NVIDIA LinkBoost support
Only a single Gigabit Ethernet connection
No DualNet support (obviously)
Four SATA and four PATA devices instead of six SATA and 2 PATA on the 680i
18 lanes of PCIe support as opposed to 46 total on the 680i
8 USB 2.0 ports vs 10 on the 680i
Expect boards on these chipsets to be priced lower and to be available before the end of the year.


text:
Serving Beaufort, Johns Island, Goose Creek, Ladson, Moncks Corner, Hanahan, North Charleston
With many years of experience, New Age Contractors is your local crawl space repair and remodeling contractor in Dorchester, SC. We specialize in high-quality materials and professional services with friendly, caring technicians. Our customers can vouch for the passion and attention to detail we put into all of our work, and we won't stop until you are satisfied with the results of your home improvement project.
When left unattended, your crawl space can lead to mold problems and structural disrepair. Moisture and humidity that gets trapped in your crawl space is the perfect breeding ground for mold and rot. When wooden crawl space joists are taken over by these hazardous substances, they can sag, creating uneven floors in your home.
These are just some of the issues that New Age Contractors can fix with our crawl space encapsulation system. Using vapor barriers, drains, dehumidifiers, doors, vent covers, and much more, we have transformed local crawl spaces into safe, dry areas where even your valuables could be stored!
In addition to our crawl space encapsulation and repair services, we can also help with remodeling. If you're looking to remodel, we can help transform your kitchen or bathroom, create an addition, and many more home remodeling services. Not only can a home remodel increase your enjoyment of your home, but you'll also receive a return on your investment when you go to sell - potential buyers love to see a new kitchen! For all of your home's needs, the experts at New Age Contractors can help you find the perfect solution.
Ready to get started on crawl space encapsulation, home remodeling, or more? Schedule a free estimate with New Age Contractors today in Dorchester, SC and nearby!
our service area


text:
League transactions have slowed to a crawl, but a handful of teams continue to mine for help.
The Atlanta Falcons are hosting former Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Wilson on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com's John Keim. A league source told Keim that Wilson previously met with the Lions on Monday, but that was before Detroit signed free-agent cover man Cassius Vaughn to a one-year contract.
Free-Agent Tracker
Follow all the developments on the NFL's open market with our up-to-the-minute tracking of 2014's free agents. **More...**
Wilson started all 48 games for the Redskins over the past three seasons, but finished 2013 as the No. 80 player at his position, according to Pro Football Focus. He struggled in coverage and didn't stand out as strong run-defender.
The Falcons are in better shape at corner than they were last offseason. Second-year man Robert Alford is expected to slide into a starting role in 2014 across from Desmond Trufant, with Robert McClain penciled in at the slot.
Atlanta is hunting for depth in the secondary, but after the Saintsmatched Atlanta's offer sheet for veteran Rafael Bush, safety looms as the more pressing concern.
UPDATE: Wilson has signed a one-year contract with the Falcons, the team announced Tuesday. Atlanta also signed safety Dwight Lowery.
In the latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast", the guys begin the offseason Roster Reset series with the AFC West and dive into the ATL mailbag..


text:
Apple has agreed — conditionally — to settle a lawsuit over allegations of fixing the prices of e-books brought against it by the attorneys general of 33 states in the United States, following a protracted legal battle.
The settlement is subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, which ruled on the case in September.
That's not all; the case is pending appeal before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Terms of the Agreement
If Apple loses the appeal and is found to have violated antitrust laws by fixing the prices of e-books, it will have to shell out US$400 million, which will be distributed among people nationwide who purchased e-books.
It also will have to pay the 33 states $20 million for costs, fees and civil penalties.
If the appeals court does not affirm the original ruling, and if liability must be retried, Apple will have to pay out $50 million.
Should Apple win its appeal and be cleared of violating antitrust laws, it will pay nothing.
A Brief History of the Case
The U.S. Department of Justice in 2012 filed an antitrust suit against Apple and five large publishers alleging they conspired to fix the prices of e-books in retaliation against Amazon's pricing most e-books at $9.99 starting in late 2007.
The publishers were Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster.
The DoJ also alleged that the six forced Amazon to follow their lead in moving from the wholesale model to an agency model, thus forcing up e-book prices. An agency model lets publishers set prices, while the wholesale model lets retailers do so.
"While online sales theoretically create a level playing field where all can compete, it has resulted in massive, industry-wide consolidations that have largely benefited a well-heeled few while gutting traditional industry players," Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT, told the E-Commerce Times.
"The Apple-Amazon melodrama is one of the few times I can think of where two relatively equal players have gone up against one another in a sort of Godzilla vs. Mothra battle for the soul of online commerce," King continued.
Apple mounted a stroppy battle in its defense, while the publishers agreed to settlements at different times, the last in February 2013.
Counting Out the Shekels
As part of their settlement, the five publishers paid a total of $166 million, which is being disbursed to e-book purchasers by a claims administrator under the supervision of the state AGs and counsel involved in a class-action suit against Apple over the price-fixing issue.
Eligible consumers either get credit on their e-book retailer accounts or get checks in the mail. More information on the disbursements is available here.
Amazon customers can go here to find out how they will be reimbursed.
Monies paid out by Apple to settle the price-fixing lawsuit probably will be disbursed in a similar fashion.
Impact on Amazon
The outcome of Apple's appeal will have no impact on Amazon, Ezra Gottheil, a principal analyst at Technology Business Research, told the E-Commerce Times.
"Because Amazon has enormous loyalty from readers, and because the Kindle App is available on all platforms including Apple's, Amazon keeps the lead in this business," Gottheil said, pointing out that Apple has "a strong position" in K-12 textbooks.
Amazon itself is embroiled in a battle with publishers over book pricing and profit-sharing arrangements. In the U.S., it has locked horns with Hachette, and in Germany with the Bonnier Media Group.
This has led to Amazon's refusing to carry Hachette's summer and fall titles.
"Amazon … is just saying what it will or will not pay for the right to sell Hachette books," King said. While Hachette can work with other online retailers, Amazon's clout "would likely result in it and its authors selling fewer books."


text:
Melissa Regan is a Sundance award-winning filmmaker whose work has appeared on HBO, PBS and Oprah. Her funny and touching film NO DUMB QUESTIONS -- about 6, 9 and 11 year old sisters whose Uncle Bill is becoming their new Aunt Barbara -- is helping families, schools, colleges and workplaces talk to kids about topics of transgender and sexual orientation. She's been on the road with nuns for the past two years and is now finishing a new documentary film about Sister Simone Campbell and the NUNS ON THE BUS. Melissa has a masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.
Blog Post List
June 30, 2014
Today the Supreme Court voted in favor of Hobby Lobby's "religious freedom" to decide not to abide by the Affordable Care Act and deny contraception coverage to their employees.
June 30, 2014
"Sister, you and your fellow nuns have clearly gone rogue!" -- Stephen Colbert Sister Simone Campbell was 18 years old when she joined the convent and 21 when she took her nun vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Her younger sister and best friend was dying of Hodgkin's disease. It was the 1960's and kids were fighting off police dogs and fire hoses while marching in the streets for their civil rights. Simone wanted to join the battle for social justice with a community inspired by the gospel. So she became a nun. Fast forward 48 years. It's 2012. The Vatican publicly reprimands American...


text:
Chinese vendors tripled shipments year-on-year in the second quarter in the Indian market, indicating that low-cost vendors are posing a challenge to global players like Apple in a very price-sensitive market.
The Chinese vendors have been successful by a combination of strategies, including online flash sales and by pushing low-cost 4G phones, priced at between US$100-150, a market that was unattended by Indian and global vendors, according to research firm IDC.
Lenovo, Xiaomi, Huawei and Gionee together got a 12 percent share of the Indian smartphone market, double from a year ago. Smaller Chinese vendors like Vivo, Oppo and OnePlus would have garnered less than 5 percent of the market, said IDC research manager Kiranjeet Kaur on Tuesday.
The Chinese vendors have also proven that they are willing to get closely involved in the Indian market, in some cases getting their products assembled in India, both to avoid high import duties on smartphones and to meet the Indian government's initiative to boost local manufacture. These companies have turned to India as the next big growth opportunity, as the China market started to slow down, Kaur said.
Some of these companies are expected to tie with third-party manufacturers like Foxconn Technology Group, which has announced plans to set up 10-12 electronics factories in India by 2020. Xiaomi, for example, announced its first locally made smartphone in the country on Monday. When companies are targeting low-cost phones, a small savings in import duty or a tax rebate can be critical, Kaur said.
26.5 million smartphones were shipped to India in the second quarter of 2015, up by 44 percent from 18.4 million units for the same period last year, according to IDC. But almost 50 percent of the smartphones shipped in India were priced at below $100, which shows a significant difference between the Indian market and the neighboring Chinese market, where only about one-fifth of the smartphones sold were priced at sub-$100.
Samsung Electronics held on to its number one position with 23 percent share and even increased shipments in the quarter from a year earlier, but this came mainly from phones in the affordable segment and older models. Indian vendor Micromax came second with a 17 percent share.
Apple does not rate among the top five vendors in India. The company does not have an Apple Store in the country in contrast to 19 in China, though there have been reports for some time that it may be planning a big push, including by selling earlier versions of its iPhone and distributing its products both online and in smaller cities in the country.
However, Kaur does not see Apple getting into the list of top five smartphone vendors in the country for at least the next two years.
IDC said it does not expect Indians to switch quickly to smartphones, and vendors should keep in mind that they are in the country "for the long haul." However, it expects India to maintain a double digit growth rate in smartphones over the next few years as people move to smartphones and gradually upgrade to 4G versions as well.
By 2017, IDC expects India to overtake the U.S. to emerge as the second largest smartphone market worldwide. The one big difference: the smartphones sold in India will be a lot cheaper than those in the U.S. where flagship phones are dominant.
John Ribeiro covers outsourcing and general technology breaking news from India for The IDG News Service. Follow John on Twitter at @Johnribeiro. John's e-mail address is firstname.lastname@example.com
Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.


text:
Slender Vervain - Verbena rigida 'Santos Purple' - British Grown Hardy Perennial
- Usually delivered within 1-3 working days.
- 7-day plant guarantee.
- Use 'Freeshipping' when spending over £60 for free delivery.
This product is unavailable
Care notes coming soon.
All our plants come in a plastic nursery pot as standard.
Decorative pots are sold separately and can be found here.
You can use our handy size filter to find the perfect pot!
For plants the size on the dropdown is the size of the nursery pot the plant comes in. For pots the size on the dropdown is the pots internal diameter. For example, if you select a 12cm pot and a 12cm plant, they should fit perfectly together.


text: DISCLAIMER: The material contained on this site and on the associated web pages is general information and is not intended to be advice on any particular matter. Subscribers and readers should seek appropriate professional advice before acting on the basis of any information contained herein. planababy.com Ltd., its directors, employees, agents, representatives and the authors expressly disclaim any and all liability to any person, whether a subscriber or not, in respect of anything and of the consequences of anything done or omitted to be done by any such person in reliance upon the contents of this site and associated web pages. |


text:
Firefighters are still on the scene of a blaze at a Camden County, N.J. chemical manufacturer where several small explosions were reported inside a packaging facility.
The fire began around 1 p.m. on Thursday inside a large building for ResinTech, a resin maker and builder of water filtration equipment, along 160 Cooper Road in West Berlin, N.J., Berlin Township fire officials said.
William Duxes, West Berlin Fire Department Public Information Officer, said the building is where the company packages goods for shipment. A manufacturing facility is nearby and not involved. He said there have been no concerns about hazardous materials endangering the public.
"The water runoff has been monitored from the beginning by the hazardous materials team with negative readings," Duxes said.
Fire crews reported small explosions taking place inside the building during the beginning of the firefight. Duxes said officials believe propane tanks, attached to forklifts used in the facility, ignited causing the blasts.
Five fire companies from Berlin Township and surrounding towns responded to help fight the fire, Berlin Township Police Chief Leonard Check said.
Part of the building's roof collapsed as crews sprayed high-pressure water jets into the structure from above. The roof is lined with dozens of rows of solar panels, which could be an electrocution danger for firefighters.
"The solar panels, even though they're on the roof, when they receive any light at all, they still generate power," said Duxes.
Firefighters were forced to knock down an outer wall of the facility to expose the collapsed solar panels as well as to fight flare-ups.
Flames also spread into trucking trailers next to the building.
"I think if the buildings were closer, it could have been even worse," said witness Morgan Peacock.
Roughly two dozen people work inside the building and all have been safely evacuated, Check said.
Duxes said it took fire crews some time to get the adequate amount of water on the blaze because of long distances between the facility and other hydrants. He said once additional equipment arrived, that was no longer an issue.
Chris Peters, who handles public relations for nearby Sahara Sam's Oasis Water Park, said the fire has been contained to only one ResinTech building and that officials have not called for widespread evacuations. The water park and other surrounding businesses remained open.
Peters also said water park staffers, trained in firefighting, jumped in to help fight the blaze.
Firefighters remain on the scene in an effort to put out any hotspots.
ResinTech makes ion exchange resins which are used in water softening and water treatment to pull out impurities, according to the company's website. Their entire complex spans 75,000 square feet and includes offices, a manufacturing facility and warehouse.